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Brandon Bochenski
| birth_place = Blaine, Minnesota | draft = 223rd overall | draft_year = 2001 | draft_team = Ottawa Senators | career_start = 2004 }} Brandon Bochenski (born Brandon Louis Bochenski on April 4, 1982) is an American professional ice hockey player who currently serves as the captain of the Barys Astana of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). He has played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for several teams. Playing Career Early Playing Career Brandon went to Blaine High School where he graduated in 2000. He was a part of the Blaine Bengals when they defeated the Duluth East Greyhounds 6–0 in the 2000 class AA championship. Also in the Minnesota State High School League tournament, he and the Bengals defeated Rochester Mayo, Hastings and finished the tournament leading the AA in scoring with 7 points. The St. Paul Pioneer Press named Brandon (along with teammates Matt Hendricks and Matt Moore) to the second team of the All-State Boys hockey team. Amateur Playing Career With the Lincoln Stars of the USHL in 2000–01, Brandon led the league in goals with 47 and was the single highest goal total in the league over the past 15 years. Playing in 55 games that year, he had 80 points and was named the USHL's Rookie of the Year. Brandon's standout performances were noticed by the Ottawa Senators and he was subsequently drafted in the seventh round (223rd overall) in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft. He would then leave the USHL to pursue a collegiate career. Brandon was heavily recruited to play college hockey in the NCAA, finally choosing the University of North Dakota. He went on to spend 3 seasons with UND in the WCHA. As a freshman at UND, Brandon led his team with five game-winning goals and was third in total points. While the Fighting Sioux failed to make the NCAA tournament in 2001–02, Brandon would not fail again leading UND to two NCAA tournaments in his final two years at UND. In each of his final two years at UND, he led his team in goals, points and power play goals. After the 2003–04 season, Brandon would sign with the Ottawa Senators where he would make his professional hockey debut with the Binghamton Senators of the AHL. Professional Playing Career During his first season in the AHL with the Binghamton Senators, Brandon racked up 34 goals and 36 assists for 70 points in just 75 games. The following year, he only saw action in 33 games, but he scored 22 goals and had 24 assists. It would be the 2005–06 season when Brandon would make his NHL debut with the Ottawa Senators. After being called up from the Senators, Brandon would debut on October 5, 2005 and go on to play in twenty games. His first NHL point was an assist versus the Buffalo Sabres on October 8, 2005. Just one week later on October 15, 2005, he would have his first career goal scoring against the Boston Bruins. In a game against the Florida Panthers on December 15, 2005, Brandon scored his first career hat trick. He would then be traded to the Chicago Blackhawks, leaving the Ottawa Senators scoring six goals and assisting on seven others. On March 9, 2006, Brandon was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks along with a second round pick in exchange for Tyler Arnason. He would record his first point for the Blackhawks on March 19, 2006 and his first goal on April 1, 2006. He would go on to play for the Blackhawks in twenty games before helping the Norfolk Admirals in which he tallied two points in three playoff games. In his twenty appearances in 2005–06, Brandon would record four points. In 2006–07, Brandon never found his permanent place on the Blackhawks roster; he spent most of his time in the Blackhawk organization with the Admirals. After an early injury to Martin Havlat in early January 2007, Brandon was recalled and found more playing time, but on February 3, 2007, the Blackhawks traded him to the Boston Bruins for Kris Versteeg and a conditional pick. On February 6, 2007, soon after joining to the Bruins, Brandon scored his first Bruin goal at the five-minute mark of the second period. The game ended in a 3–2 victory after a shootout against the Washington Capitals. On June 18, 2007, Brandon signed a one-year deal with the Boston Bruins for the 2007–08 season, however, seldom used as a reserve forward after 20 games with the Bruins on January 2, 2008, the Bruins traded him to the Anaheim Ducks for Shane Hnidy and a 6th round pick in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. Brandon played in 12 games with the Ducks with 4 points before he was traded to his third team within the season, the Nashville Predators for future considerations on February 26, 2008. On July 8, 2008, he joined his sixth NHL team when he signed as a free agent to a two-year contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Prior to the 2008–09 season on September 25, 2008, the Lightning placed Brandon on waivers for the purpose of sending him to American Hockey League affiliate team, the Norfolk Admirals. Returning to Norfolk for a second stint (who were formerly affiliates with the Blackhawks), Brandon was among scoring leaders of the Admirals and often the Lightning's first recall in cases of injury. After two seasons within the Lightning organization, Brandon became the Admirals record goal scoring leader, passing Casey Hankinson 76 goals to finish with 81 as well as hold the record for most game-winning goals (15) and power play goals (34). On May 5, 2010, Brandon left North America and signed a one-year contract with Kazakh KHL team, Barys Astana. Awards & Achievements *All-WCHA Rookie Team (2001–02) *All-WCHA Second Team (2002–03) *All-WCHA First Team (2003–04) *AHCA West First-Team All-American (2003–04) *WCHA All-Tournament Team (2004) *2000-01 USHL Rookie of the year *2001-02 WCHA Rookie of the year *Played in two KHL All-Star Games (2012, 2014) *2014 First Team KHL All-Star *2011–12 KHL season Most Goals (27) *Best Forward of the Month (December 2013) Career Statistics Regular season and playoffs International Statistics Category:1982 births Category:Barys Astana players Category:Ottawa Senators draft picks Category:Ottawa Senators players Category:Chicago Blackhawks players Category:Boston Bruins players Category:Anaheim Ducks players Category:Nashville Predators players Category:Tampa Bay Lightning players Category:Norfolk Admirals players Category:Binghamton Senators players Category:University of North Dakota men's ice hockey players